1993 Jaguar XJ220

When it thundered into the record books at 350 km/h around Nardò, the Jaguar XJ220 became the fastest production car in the world. Its moniker, a nod to Jaguar’s lineage of record-breakers like the XK120, born from its Group B and C racing DNA.

With a bullet train profile, the XJ220 remains one of the most extraordinary feats of British engineering. Hand built by JaguarSport, the Racing and Development division of Jaguar’s Le Mans winning partnership with TWR, it was conceived by director of engineering, Jim Randle who wanted to tie XJR Le Mans racers to a conceptual road car. 

With the same obsession for aerodynamic purity and technical excellence that delivered back-to-back victories at La Sarthe, beneath its sweeping aerospace-grade aluminium bodywork, and state-of-the-art riveted and bonded aluminium honeycomb monocoque, lies the compact, lightweight and devastatingly powerful Cosworth developed, twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 that produces a monster 542 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. 

Rooted in the newly banned Group B and once piloted by little known steerer, Colin McRae, this engine, dubbed the JV6, also saw success in the XJR-10 and XJR-11 sports-prototypes. Seated in the XJ220, this power unit dispatches 0-100 km/h in just 3.6 seconds, and held the Nürburgring production lap record for nearly a decade. Today, this flash in the pan is still the fastest production Jaguar ever built!

Similarly race-derived was the double-wishbone suspension, AP Racing brakes, Speedline aluminium alloy wheels (17” diameter at the front, 18” at the rear) and an FF Developments, five-speed, all-synchromesh transaxle with viscous-control, limited-slip differential.

In period, the XJ220 eclipsed its contemporaries. Outpacing the Ferrari F40, Porsche 959, and Lamborghini’s wild Diablo. It was also the first production car to breach the 500-horsepower mark and, remains one of the most captivating chapters in Jaguar’s long history. It’s first (and last) attempt at a true Supercar.

Just 271 XJ220’s were ever built. Of those, only 69 were completed in right-drive, each priced at a heady £470,000 in the early 1990s, ensuring exclusivity that endures.

Car number 140 offered here is without question, one of the finest extant. Delivered October, 1993 via Grange Jaguar, Essex, ordered in spectacular Monza Red over Sand Connolly hide, this superb car presents in original, unrestored, showroom condition, travelled only 904 miles. 

One of the lowest mileage XJ220’s remaining, first registered in 1997, in 2001 and then in 2003, under the direction of its original owner, Mr. E Wright, this car was serviced by Aston Martin Works Service. 

In 2004, it was then by Bonhmas Auctions at the Goodwood Festival of Speed to a prolific Australian collector with 737 miles recorded. It then remained a keystone of that collection until 2016, when it was acquired by the Gosford Classic Car Museum for display.

In that time, a major engine and transmission inspection and service was completed October, 2015 at 800 miles by one of Australia’s foremost motorsport specialists, Wayne Park Automotive, ensuring mechanical excellence to complement its immaculate presentation. 

Displayed at the 2018 Bathurst 12 Hour under the Meguiar’s Australia banner, Car 140 was shortly thereafter acquired by its current custodian with just 920 miles on the clock, taking its place alongside a rather distinguished stablemate: the first Ferrari 246 GT Dino ever delivered to Australia.

Then, between 2020 and 2024, the car underwent an extensive programme of sympathetic maintenance and mechanical refurbishment, representing a significant investment in preserving its integrity.

Sparing no expense, Don Law Racing, the world’s leading XJ220 authority, supplied a complete six-year service kit, encompassing every critical component recommended by the factory, including timing belts, filters, seals, air-conditioning ancillaries, fuel pumps, clutch service items, and a full engine gasket set, totalling £14,994.

Subsequent works were then carried out by Concours Sportscar Restorations, overseen by Director Gavin King, renowned for their expertise with British classics as every major system was overhauled with a meticulous attention paid to detail and factory authenticity.

Engine & Fuel System

• Twin-turbocharged V6 engine comprehensively serviced and detailed

• Both fuel tanks replaced, with new fuel lines, pumps, and fittings throughout

• Injectors professionally cleaned, bench-tested, and resealed

• Alternator removed, cleaned, and refitted

• Engine bay detailed to a presentation standard

• New bonnet gas struts fitted to correct 195/8/18 @265N specification

Forced Induction System

• Both turbochargers fully rebuilt to original specification

• Intercoolers pressure-tested and refinished

Cooling System

• Complete cooling system overhaul, including new A/C drier, O-rings, and refitted lines

• Cooling system bled and balanced to correct coolant/water ratio

Transmission & Driveline

• Transaxle removed, inspected, and serviced with new seals throughout

• Flywheel machined and balanced; clutch and bell housing cleaned and refitted

• Driveshafts cleaned and detailed

• Thrust and swivel bearings serviced and lubricated

Braking System

• Brake master cylinder rebuilt with new seals

• Front and rear calipers dismantled, cleaned, and reassembled to original specification

• New brake pads fitted, handbrake calipers refitted

• Pedal mechanism adjusted and lubricated

Catalytic System & Exhaust

• Catalytic converters rebuilt with new centre sections roll-formed to original specification

• Exhaust tips repaired and refinished

• Diffuser components sand-blasted, repaired, and finished in satin black

Chassis & Suspension

• Wheel hubs and axle assemblies stripped and refinished to factory specification

• Rear suspension detailed and underbody prepared to concours standard

The car also received brand new factory specification Pirelli tyres. Purchased directly from Jaguar Classic, who partnered with Pirelli to develop a P Zero tire specifically for the XJ220,  aesthetically, just like the originals  fitted on debut but using the latest tire compounds and technologies that offer internal damping, lessen noise, and provide more precise control while increasing comfort.

Importantly, accompanying the car is its complete original book pack, leather-bound, silver-gilded, and in a condition you’d expect of a car with outstanding maintenance and low mileage. Both original Jaguar-stamped keys are there too, plus a lever-arch file of service records, original JaguarSport brochure and Jaguar Heritage production record.

In our eyes, the XJ220 remains one of the prettiest and most enigmatic supercar profiles in history. A collectable we highly recommend.

Exceedingly rare, beautifully preserved, and still undervalued, this superb XJ220 represents an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire one of the most important supercars of the modern era. A true time capsule, and a landmark in the history of speed.